Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz On Star Trek's First Ever Male Gay Kiss

Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz made
history in November when their characters on CBS All Access' Star
Trek: Discovery shared the show's first male gay kiss.

On the series, Cruz plays medical
officer Dr. Hugh Culber, who is involved in a romantic relationship
with starfleet officer Lt. Paul Stamets (played by out actor Anthony
Rapp), an expert on fungus.

In the show's fall finale, Stamets
kisses Culber and promises to take him on a romantic date before he
enters a chamber to navigate the ship's spore drive in an effort to
escape the advancing Klingons. Culber suspects the jump might kill
his lover.

“We were very much aware that there
had never been a male-on-male kiss in Star Trek before. We had
conversations with the producers, asking if this was going to happen.
A few episodes in we asked again, and they replied 'yes,
absolutely,'” Rapp
said.

"When it happened, it was a good
time, it was earned and had a meaningful impact, and it was
satisfying. If it had happened earlier, it probably wouldn't have had
the same meaning.”

"I appreciated the relationship
was revealed in subtle ways, it was part of the fabric of the ship.
The Trek community has a
vibrant LGBT+ segment to it, and people were really gratified that it
was presented in a direct, uncomplicated and human way,” he added.

Cruz said that growing up he “wanted
to see two men love each other and share a life [on TV], and have the
same ups and downs that their heterosexual counterparts had.”